Brian Sabean is 66 years old, and as he said more than once in his re-introductory press conference Tuesday after being named an Executive Advisor to Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, “at my age, it’s about being wanted and needed.”
That’s something he apparently no longer felt after 30 years with the San Francisco Giants, and between that and a family matter that required his attention, he and the Giants brass felt it was best to mutually part ways when his contract expired last October 31.
“As my contract was winding down, I had conversations with (Giants Team President) Larry Baer and (President of Baseball Operations) Farhan Zaidi, and I expressed some family needs and professional interests I had, so we thought it was best to let the contract expire,” Sabean said. “After 30 years of a very eventful stay in San Francisco, I don’t know how much more I could have contributed.”
A personal matter in his extended family led Sabean to think it might be best to move his family back to the East Coast, specifically to Florida, and when he reached out to Brian Cashman in the capacity of an old friend to discuss his future, things just fell into place.
“He was the first person I reached out to with my thoughts about my future, and things just worked out beyond my wildest dreams,” Sabean said. “I’m just so thankful to get this opportunity. This is both nerve-wracking and invigorating, and at my age, it’s all about being wanted and needed, and as I talked to Cash, things became organic as to how I can help the organization.”
Back in 2015, Sabean moved up from GM to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations in San Fran, and three years later, he moved into a role the Yankees’ release described as “an Executive Vice President working on strategic initiatives as a senior advisor and evaluator,” and he described as more of a liaison to the scouting department.
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“Really, I was working with our scouting director, and as you know that department is year-round, so I’m very thankful to Mike Holmes and his staff for including me and getting me re-indoctrinated to that world,” Sabean said. “That was really a main focus and something I enjoyed a lot, and it’s amazing how far the game has come for younger players with showcases and college ball and all that.”
But, as Sabean noted, “with new regimes there are different group dynamics and wants and needs, so it became what it was,” and as he also said, his role in San Francisco over the last few years wasn’t quite what he thought it was.
“As things turned out, I expected to be more involved, and in some cases, it didn’t turn out that way,” Sabean said. “At my age, I still have great passion for the game, and I’ve run almost every department you can in an organization, so I needed to be in a place where I could give back, be a mentor, and contribute at any level at any time.”
He had always watched the Yankees from afar, especially early on as many of the players his department scouted and signed or drafted – Core Four, anyone? – rose to prominence and helped the Yankees build a dynasty in the late-1990s.
“I was a link in the chain with Gene Michael, Bill Livesey, Mark Newman – the Tampa Consortium, as I call it,” he said. “We were a think tank, and we were probably best in class in scouting and player development, so when I left for San Francisco, to see it come to fruition was gratifying. Our team was beyond reproach as far as intelligence and passion for the game, and our culture in the minors really set the tone for what to expect as players moved up the ranks.”
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And now, as he moves up the ranks of his baseball life, here Sabean is again in a new role. He hopes to be able to be based in Florida, but he said he’s “all-in and fully engaged,” and that means travel whenever needed, including to New York. He’ll report directly to Cashman and hopes to be his “utility tool,” a “involved at all levels” in a role where he can “voice opinions when needed and work in areas that he may specifically want more thought or advice in.”
That begins in earnest now, though, as Sabean said he’s going to do a deep dive into Yankees Universe, starting by watching their playoff games, to try to get a feel for the state of the organization from top to bottom, so he wouldn’t really speak on that until he’s “fully debriefed” and spring training draws closer.
It’s a new beginning in an old spot for Sabean, who starter with the Yankees in 1985 as a scout before serving as Director of Scouting from 1986-90 and the Vice President of Player Development and Scouting from 1990-92 – and for him, “it’s heartwarming” to see some of the folks he built relationships with before he left 30 years ago (like Cashman) are still here.
Heartwarming, and humbling to get the opportunity all at once.
“A little bit emotional and overwhelming, and somewhat strange after 30 years to rejoin the organization I started in,” Sabean said. “A lot of memories have come flashing back, thinking a lot about people like Gene Michael and Bill Livesey, who were instrumental in my growth as an executive as mentors and friends. It’s humbling, and like I said, at my age, it’s important to be wanted and needed, and I’ll do anything to help the Yankees win another World Series.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN